The procedure for bending sheet metal and flat metal stock has typically been expensive to the average consumer. The equipment was large and expensive, making it necessary for the consumer to go to a machine shop to have metal bending work performed, rather than being able to purchase his own equipment for home use.
The basic reason for the expensive cost of such equipment is in the use of a machined die block. The prior art die block has a channel cut therein to the exact angle for forming the desired angle of bend in the metal stock. The machining of the die block is an expensive process, since high-tempered steel cutters are used, and extra-strength materials must be used in the die block itself to withstand the stresses involved in bending metal stock thereon. The metal is bent by placing the piece of metal stock over the channel in the die block, and forcing a die blade to push the metal stock within the channel. This procedure is used to stamp out large quantities of pieces of metal stock, and allows the cost of the machined die block to be distributed over the cost of many bent metal pieces. However, it can be seen that it would be very expensive to bend only one or two pieces of metal stock since the cost of machining a die block would be borne by only one or a few pieces.